The Inevitable
by FlameAlchmst
Summary: His whole life, Syaoran Li lived as a secluded individual. However, Kashima Uzamaki was always surrounded by people. Switched as babies, the boys lived the other's life in ignorance. Filled with romance, heartbreaks, disasters, and mysteries! R&R!
1. You Will Be Free

The Inevitable

_By Flame Alchmst_

_**Disclaimer**__**: I do not own CCS or its characters; I'm just using them. However, some of the characters in this story have been made up by muah! Of course the events and plot or whatever are mine too! **_

_**By the way, don't mind the weird names of places – they are words put together by me and my sisters. D**_

**  
****Chapter 1: "You will be free"**

Deafening thunder roared throughout the small town of Kamikalfred. Rain poured down on the place and threatened to flood the streets. During the monstrous storm, the whole town slept in darkness. One figure wearing a black cloak ran through the rain desperately - it was a young girl of about 17. In her arms, she held a small baby covered up with blankets. Every now and then she'd whisper comforting words in hopes of hushing the baby's cries. The fear of waking up the townspeople finally vanished as she crossed the border and entered the forest.

"We're out of that place," she said with a relief, "We'll be ok now, Kashima."

She held the baby tighter and continued the long journey.

The next morning, in a town called Azeyre, located on the other side of the forest, was a celebration for a new baby. This bigger and wealthy town bloomed with joy and prosperity. The most fortunate and prosperous couple, the Li couple, had just been blessed with a beautiful child. All the inmates of the town gathered for an enormous baby shower at the Li household. With their vast land and gigantic mansion-like house, they had more than enough room for everyone in the huge town. The Li property was flamboyantly decorated and the entertainment was plenty. Children's rides, clowns, and lots of other amusing things kept the kids busy. A band was playing music and men grabbed women for romantic dances. In the midst of all this partying, Yelan Li was admiring her new born baby.

"Welcome to the family, Syaoran," His mother whispered, hugging the baby to her bosom.

------------------------12 hours later-----------------------

As Yelan put the small baby to sleep, the last guest left. She took one last look at her baby before leaving the room; he was sound asleep. She watched as his stomach moved up and down with each breath he took. For a baby, Syaoran had a lot of hair – it was messy and dark brown. She could imagine the baby opening its dark brown eyes and staring at her with its adorable expression. As Yelan swam in her thoughts of the child, the doorbell rang. She thought it might be the guests returning to get something they forgot. However, when she peered through the eye-hole in the door, she realized that it was someone unfamiliar. The stranger started banging on the door frantically and yelled, "Please! Help me! Please!"

Yelan jerked the door open without thinking and jumped from shock at the sight. A small figure emerged through the door – it was a person dressed in a black cloak holding a small baby. The person pulled down the hood and looked up at Yelan – it was a young girl, and she was a mess! Underneath the cloak, she wore torn blue jeans and a torn white t-shirt. Her skin was extremely pale and she was shaking hysterically. She had long, straight, dark black hair which fell just below her shoulders. Her big light brown eyes looked straight at Yelan's eyes desperately.

"My baby…that man will take…my baby," she was sobbing and struggling to get her words across, "…please…help…I…we…"

"Shh…it's alright," Yelan comforted her, putting her arms around the woman's shoulders, "Come get cleaned up and I'll listen to your story."

A few hours later, Yelan, her husband, and the strange woman with a sleeping baby in her arms were all sitting in the living room. The young woman's name was discovered to be Mitsuki Uzamaki. She had become pregnant by a man she loved, but that man wanted to get rid of the baby. Mitsuki refused to have an abortion, and since she was going through pregnancy, there were always people around her; she constantly made it so that she had company. It was difficult for the man to approach and do anything to her. However, now that she had the baby, she was worried for its life. Mr. Li sat listening to the whole conversation, utterly annoyed at his wife's kindness and disgusted of this girl's story. He didn't bother to hide his feelings, so he sat with a very unusual look on his face.

"I understand everything," Yelan said with a soft voice, "You may stay here for as long as you like. My husband has many connections and can get you a place to stay and a steady job in no time."

"Yelan!" roared Mr. Li, "You can't just jump to..."

"Now, now…" Yelan cut him off, "Please help me through this for now darling," she said through gritted teeth.

"Just what do-"

"I apologize," Yelan cut him off and spoke to Mitsuki, "Why don't I take you upstairs? You must be tired."

As Yelan and Mitsuki walked up the stairs, Mr. Li cursed at himself and went back to his work.

"So Mitsuki," Yelan said, "What's this youngster's name?"

"Kashima."

"Ah, adorable; he's probably just about my Syaoran's age."

Yelan continued to carry on a conversation with Mitsuki, even though she replied with short answers. Yelan finally left her to rest while she went to bed herself.

A week passed by and Mitsuki had started getting comfortable in the Li household. She was opening up slowly and trying hard to forget about Kamikalfred and all the terrible events that occurred there. In her mind, she knew that she'd have to leave this place soon; she couldn't impose on the Li's for too long. Her brain went nuts thinking about a job, safe home, and protection for her baby. She swam in her nightmare, yearning desperately to escape from it…

All of a sudden, she sat up and jerked her head frantically about. Her breathing was hard and sweat wet her face. She looked next to her to find her son sleeping soundly. With a small smile she sighed, mustering her courage for the day…like she did every morning. Pulling herself out of bed, she made her way to the bathroom to wash up and get ready for the day. The moment she turned on the faucet, a shrilling scream ran through her ears. She immediately turned off the water and dashed out of her room down the stairs to where the noise came from. What she saw then would forever haunt her – two maids were screaming and calling for help…and in the middle laid Yelan, with a pool of blood around her. Mitsuki froze and stood there staring like an idiot – a million thoughts ran through her head all at once. The thought that kept coming back was, 'What will happen to me and my baby?'

In the next hour or so, Mitsuki was locked in her own room. Mr. Li had commanded her to stay inside the 'damned room' until the police needed her for questioning. He seemed utterly angry, but there were no signs of tears or sadness in his expression or voice. Mitsuki brought her hands to her face, "That callous man probably killed his own wife!" she whispered, bursting into tears.

The whole day went by in a blur. When she was called down for questioning, she couldn't remember anything that was said after she was dismissed. She knew it would take a while to catch the murderer - maybe a year! The whole day passed by awkwardly for Mitsuki. The gossiping of all the maids and people around her went into one ear and out of the other. She decided to stay upstairs in her room majority of the time when the house was filled with townspeople she was unfamiliar with.

'Syaoran Li is probably down there', she thought, 'being poured with sympathy by everyone. Why is he the one people worry for when my baby is locked up here?! Kashima is the one who is a target! A target that will be killed by that devilish man!' Her thoughts ran wild once again.

That night, Mitsuki was summoned to Mr. Li's office. Looking at his appearance, you would never guess that his wife had just been murdered!

"I want to get this over with as quickly as possible," said Mr. Li, in a business sort of tone. "You need a place to stay, correct?" Mitsuki nodded in response. "Well then, I will allow you to remain as a caretaker for my son. The other maids don't seem to be able to handle him well. You have a son, so you know how to deal with a child." Just like that, he dismissed her.

Mitsuki didn't know how to take the situation, but all that mattered was that her son had a safe place to stay. Syaoran's carriage was moved into her room, beside her son's carriage. That's how things went on for Mitsuki – her work was doubled. She had two babies to feed, change, play with, etc. Of course, her son was poured with love while the other one was treated indifferently. She was jealous; her son was always neglected by people while Syaoran received all the love and kisses! Even the pathetic maids in the household treated the two boys differently! Her anger grew day by day, but at the same time, her anxiety grew. Every night she'd have nightmares about her son being killed, taken away, or tortured by her former lover. One night, it got really bad. She constantly woke up every hour and couldn't take it anymore. She got up from bed and stood in front of her baby's carriage.

"You're not safe…even in this house. I know you're not safe…" she whispered, tears streaming down her cheeks. She glanced at Syaoran; he wouldn't be harmed. Everyone adored him, respected him – he'd grow up to have a wonderful life. All of a sudden, an idea ran through her head. If the babies were switched, then….No! That wouldn't work. She shook her head and mentally hit herself. Wait, that stupid old man wouldn't be able to tell the difference anyway! He rarely saw the children and when he did, he sometimes called her son Syaoran without knowing. The only reason other people could tell the boys apart was because Syaoran wore a special silver necklace which his mother bought for him. She thought hard; if she carried out her plan and got caught, she would be doomed. However, if everything went well, her son and mind would live in happiness and peace. She made sure the door was locked and suddenly started to undress the boys. She switched their clothes and removed the necklace from Syaoran's neck to place it on Kashima's neck. Then she stepped back, examining the children. They were both awake now – Kashima was making little noises while Syaoran was crying. It was clear to her which baby was which, but no one else would be able to figure out, right? They both had brownish hair, even though the shades were slightly different. However, her son had black eyes while the other had brown eyes. After spinning the idea and consequences in her head for a while, she decided to carry out with the plan. After some practice, she'd be able to call her son 'Syaoran' and Syaoran 'Kashima'.

She jammed a pacifier in Syaoran's mouth and lifted her own son, rocking him back and forth and kissing him on the forehead. "Don't worry…You won't be in danger anymore," she said, holding him tightly to her bosom, "You will be free…"

* * *

END!

Well, that's the first chapter I know, there are probably lots of questions about the babies being switched and stuff- don't worry. The second chapter should answer a few of them if not all. Heh...things are going to get confusing soon :p


	2. And So It Begins

The Inevitable

_By Flame Alchmst_

_**Disclaimer**__**: I do not own CCS or its characters; I'm just using them. However, some of the characters in this story have been made up by muah! Of course the events and plot or whatever are mine too! **_

_**Alright, I changed the naming technique. Some people were getting confused, so I decided to change it. Here it is: in narration, the REAL names will be used. However, when others are talking and stuff, the SWITCHED names will be used. I hope this is better )**_

_**Note: Real names will be used all the time except when people are talking.**_

**  
****Chapter 2: "And So It Begins"**

Mitsuki Uzamaki descended the stairs, her face a sickly pale. Just the night before, she had removed Syaoran's necklace and put it on her own son's. Now, she could only hope that everything would go smoothly. As she finally arrived in the kitchen with the two babies, a few of the maids came up to her to greet their young master.

"Now, don't you look well today Mr. Syaoran Li," said Aya, the youngest of the maids. Her long yellow hair fell below her waist and her light blue eyes sparkled in the morning light. She definitely was the prettiest of the bunch, but her mouth was the worst.

"Well look here," she continued, addressing Mitsuki now, "Don't you look absolutely dreadful this morning; even more so than usual. What on earth happened to your face? And those clothes…you pathetic creature."

"Cut it out Aya," said one of the older, nicer maids named Umeko.

Mitsuki stayed silent; she had gotten used to this girl's crude comments. She couldn't help but think that the girl was right though, she needed to get new clothes. She still wore the torn shirt and jeans from the day she arrived in Azeyre. She put the two boys down and prepared their breakfast. When she returned to the dining room, Aya was holding up Kashima, thinking he was Syaoran. Mitsuki immediately started getting nervous as the group of maids touched and adored who they thought was their young master.

"Wait a minute," said one maid, confused, "Didn't Syaoran Li have brown eyes?"

Mitsuki's heart leaped as she prepared for what to do next. She opened her mouth in an attempt to say something, "Ah…"

However, she was cut off by Aya. "Oh come, come now," she said, all haughtily, "Our young master has always had black eyes, just like his mother. The little twerp over there has brown eyes like _his mother_", she said, putting a disgusted tone on the words 'his mother'. The other maids agreed with her. Mitsuki let out a sigh of relief. Good. Now that the maids all believed Syaoran to be Kashima and the other way around, it wouldn't be a problem fooling everyone else.

And so it began. Mitsuki was successful in switching the boys' identities…and everyone was fooled. Days…weeks…months…and years passed by. Yelan's case finally closed and the murderer was jailed. Mitsuki didn't really hear what happened…something about an affair. As for the boys, they both grew up together; one was loved while the other was neglected. In the beginning, they were inseparable.

--------------- 5 years later ---------------

A five-year old Kashima dashed toward the park with Syaoran running behind him. Although their hair shades were similar when they were young, Kashima's hair was gradually becoming darker. They abruptly came to a halt in front of the lake and turned to look at each other.

"You go in first," ordered Kashima, looking down at his reflection in the water.

Syaoran shook his head, "We're going to get in trouble. We should go back Syaoran!"

"I'm older than you by two weeks! I'm bigger!" Kashima put his hands on his hips and held his head up high, "You have to listen to me."

Syaoran looked down with a sad expression, "Ok. But my mom will beat me up."

"I'll tell her not to."

"…Okay."

Syaoran stepped closer to the lake, his legs shaking. All of a sudden, Kashima pushed him hard from the back and Syaoran fell in. Even though the water was shallow, rocks and other sharp objects were beneath the water.

"Kashima!" Kashima yelled, helping him up. They both looked down and saw scrapes and blood covering Syaoran's knees; Syaoran's eyes slowly started to well up.

"Don't worry," Kashima said, trying to calm Syaoran down, "Your mom will help us!"

And so the two boys ran back home hand-in-hand. Syaoran was sniffing and wailing while Kashima was doing his best to comfort him. When they finally reached home, Kashima ran up to the door and pounded on it frantically. Umeko opened the door and her eyes widened in shock at Syaoran's knees.

"You poor thing!" She spoke worriedly, lifting Syaoran into her arms and taking him inside. As Umeko nursed Syaoran's wounds, Kashima was telling her what had happened.

"We were starting to get worried," Umeko stated, "whose idea was it to go scampering into the park anyway?" She raised her eyebrow and looked at both boys.

At first, Kashima pointed toward Syaoran. When Syaoran looked down with a worried expression, Kashima pointed to himself.

"It was my idea!" Kashima pouted, "I was bored."

As Umeko opened her mouth to speak Mitsuki came running down the stairs. She glanced at Kashima and then at…Syaoran. Her eyes narrowed as she approached the trio.

"Thank you, Umeko," Mitsuki said, bowing, "I'll take it from here."

"No problem," Umeko smiled and looked at Syaoran, "You watch out now! That wound will heal soon so don't worry sweetie."

As soon as Umeko left the room, Mitsuki grabbed Syaoran by the arm and dragged him up the stairs. Kashima ran behind her, hoping she wouldn't loose her temper. Mitsuki threw Syaoran into the room and Kashima followed in behind. After shutting the door, Mitsuki slowly turned around and gave Syaoran a deadly look.

"You…this was all your fault wasn't it?" She asked, her voice ice cold.

Syaoran violently shook his head.

"You ungrateful little thing!" She yelled, slapping Syaoran across the face, causing him to fall against the floor.

Syaoran whimpered and moved back.

"DON'T YOU DARE GET AWAY FROM ME!" She yelled, her cheeks becoming red with anger.

"Stop, Mitsuki!" hollered Kashima, attempting to pull her away from Syaoran and cease her beatings. When he realized that Mitsuki wouldn't budge, he immediately ran out of the room and through the long hallways to reach his father's office. His father constantly went on business trips, so they rarely spoke to each other. Even though Kashima didn't know or talk much to his father, he knew he'd help somehow.

Pushing the door open, he yelled, "DAD!! Mitsuki is hitting Kashima," his eyes filled with concern as he ran up to his father who was sitting on the office chair. At the moment Kashima placed his hand onto his father's knee, he received a great blow and went flying across the room.

"You noisy scoundrel!" his father roared, glowering at who he thought to be his son, "No one disturbs me when I'm working!"

Tears fell, one by one, down Kashima's face as he silently cried. Knees shaking, he stood up and made his way slowly toward the door.

"Be more like Kashima," Kashima heard his father saying as he walked out, "Don't make loud noises, do what you're told, and stay out of my office! You're nothing but a pesky…"

His dad's voice slowly faded away as Kashima walked farther and farther away from the office. He suddenly bumped into someone and looked up to find Mitsuki gazing down at him.

"My poor child," she said, lifting him into her arms, "This is all Kashima's fault. Everything is his fault, don't cry. Your ungrateful father and my bothersome son are to blame for everything!"

She held Kashima closer and walked down the stairs to give him some dessert. Meanwhile, inside Mitsuki's room, Syaoran sat in the corner behind the bed crying his eyes out.

And that's how it all started. Kashima's hatred for Syaoran grew day by day. His father's daily callousness and Mitsuki's abuse toward Syaoran only made things worse. When the boys started attending Kindergarten, Kashima learned from the other kids that Mitsuki and Syaoran were mere 'slaves'. As a result, Syaoran endured bullying, mockery, and isolation. Kashima's behavior toward Mitsuki worsened; he scorned at and looked down on her. This carried on throughout first, second, third, fourth, fifth, sixth, and seventh grade. Eventually, when the boys were in seventh grade, Mitsuki couldn't tolerate Kashima's attitude anymore. She couldn't bear to see her own son torturing and ridiculing her.

Knowing that her son would be safe since he was thought to be the heir to the Li family, she disappeared from the house without a word. As for Syaoran, Mitsuki didn't care what happened to him. When Mr. Li was informed of Mitsuki's disappearance, he didn't seem to care at all. In fact, he just shrugged it off and went back to doing his own work. He didn't give orders for anything to happen to Syaoran and didn't do anything when he saw Syaoran continuing to live in the house. Thus, Umeko made sure that Syaoran continued to get a good education and let him stay in the Li household.

--------------- 4 years later ---------------

It was a Monday afternoon, and the hallways of Azeyre High were crowded. The lunch bell rang and many groups of kids were chitchatting away. Amongst the crowd, one young man was alone, keeping to himself and walking out of the school. He was a tall, well-built teenager who drew attention with his presence; especially the girls'. His chocolate brown messy hair fell right above his ears and his dark brown eyes were fixed on the ground ahead of him. The teen stood out from the crowd of people. His clothes had no variety of color; just black. He wore black baggy jeans and a black t-shirt. His shoes were black with sliver symbols on the side. As he stepped out of the school, he ran his hand through his hair, trying to get the bangs out of his eyes. As he made his way across the field, students spoke without even thinking about him listening.

"Look, it's the loner."

"Where is he going?"

"He never eats here; he always disappears."

"He'll be in for a surprise after his meal."

"Whoa…dude…what did you do? That's one evil smile."

Syaoran Li walked on, ignoring the remarks from others. It was another day in Azeyre High, and things never changed.

* * *

END!

Yayyy! I finally finished Chapter 2. They're in High School now 00 Haha. Things will get interesting…

If you guys read the story, please leave a review. I'd really appreciate it


	3. Yo! Charley Chuckles!

The Inevitable

_By Flame Alchmst_

_**Disclaimer**__**: I do not own CCS or its characters; I'm just using them. However, some of the characters in this story have been made up by muah! Of course, the events and plot or whatever are mine too! **_

**Note: Real names will be used all the time. Switched names will be used in dialogue when others talk.**

**  
****Chapter 3: "Yo! Charley Chuckles!"**

It was midday on a Monday in September and the sky was clear. Syaoran Li had just left the school grounds and was now taking his usual route during lunch time. He looked ahead, waiting for the usual to occur. Surprisingly, he didn't see a single person on the sidewalk ahead. He slowly lowered his head and positioned his eyes to the ground. In an instant, Syaoran was knocked off his feet with his face on the ground.

"Loser," spat a voice, laughing hysterically. The source of the voice emerged from the bushes at the side. He was a relatively short teenager, 5'3", with dark green hair falling to his shoulders. He was unusually dressed for the chilly weather that day: a plain white vest with the zipper open, long jean shorts, and white sandals.

The boy's bright green eyes met with Syaoran's eyes, "Enjoying the view down there, Kashima?"

Syaoran slowly stood up from the ground and began dusting his clothes.

"Rei, give the guy a break."

Syaoran turned to look at where the voice had come from - three more figures appeared from the bushes. On the left side, an extremely tall boy, 6'3", yawned lazily and seemed to be searching for something in the sky with his dark red eyes. He was wearing a long-sleeved white shirt with a short-sleeved red checkered shirt over it. With it, he wore dark blue jeans and plain black sneakers. Out of boredom, he lifted a fallen leaf and laid it on top of his short, spiky, crimson hair; he was definitely a beautiful sight to behold.

Standing on the right side was a 5'7" teen with long orange hair tied up in a high pony. He had extraordinary bright, yellow eyes and pale skin. He wore a full-sleeved golden shirt with a long, light brown jacket over it. Along with this, he wore tight, black, girl jeans and black shoes.

In the center was Syaoran's worst enemy – Kashima Uzamaki. Kashima's height, 5'11", was 2 inches more than Syaoran's and his hair came right below his ears. His former brown hair had become so dark that it looked black now. On his right ear, a silver loop earring glittered in the sun; strange carvings were engraved within the jewelry piece. He wore dark brown, baggy jeans to match the brown band he wore on his head. His shirt was long-sleeved and light brown with a single black stripe running across the center. He stepped up to Syaoran with his black sneakers and threw a hard punch right at his stomach; Syaoran knelt over in pain.

"Thought we wouldn't come today, huh?" Kashima asked, grinning.

"Yeah," echoed Rei, "Thought we wouldn't come today, huh?"

"Rei," said the red head, "Shut up."

"You stay out of this Sano," replied Rei, "Syaoran and I know what we're doing."

When Syaoran started standing up straight again, Kashima quickly stuck out his leg and tripped him.

"Stay there," Kashima threatened, "Unless you WANT to feel more pain."

"Yeah," mimicked Rei, "Unless you WANT to feel mo…"

"Rei, shut your mouth," Sano cut him off, "Syaoran, that's enough. I'm hungry."

"Alright," Kashima sighed, "Let's get outta here."

"Dude," whined Rei, "I'm getting cold."

"It's your own fault," replied Kashima, "You're an idiot wearing those kinds of clothes."

"Well, it's not my fault! If you had awesome abs like these, you'd want to show them off too!!"

As the group of boys walked away from Syaoran, he attempted to stand back up. He started walking again and suddenly held his stomach; Kashima's punches always had nasty after effects. When Syaoran arrived at the park, he took his usual seat and sat down. The area he sat at was a peaceful one and people barely went there. He took out his lunch, only a water bottle and an apple, and started eating. After he finished his lunch, Syaoran lay down on the grass to rest a little; he was feeling a little drowsy…

--------------------------------------------------------

"bsshhtyfHey…bsshhtyfkid…"

It smelled weird.

"Are…y….kay…"

It smelled like metal, garbage, dirt, smoke, the earth…

"HEY!"

Syaoran slowly opened his eyes. His vision was blurry. There was a black figure…tall figure…long hair…that body…a girl? His sight was slowly coming back.

"Oh! You're awake!"

Syaoran looked up at the person's face - it was a girl. She had shoulder-length black hair tied up in a high pony. Her clothes were all red and black: black baggy jeans, a red t-shirt, a short black vest, black sneakers and a red cap. She stuck out a hand which was adorned with a black fingerless glove, "Come on. I'll help ya up."

Syaoran rubbed his eyes…his water was probably spiked or something. He must've…walked here without knowing what was going on. His head was muddled and his body ached. A glance around told him he was in an alley. Ignoring the girl's hand, he pushed himself up from the ground. He suddenly got dizzy; the girl helped him steady himself.

"Don't worry buddy," she whispered, "I won't eat you."

Syaoran pushed away from her and stepped back. Who the heck was she? And what was she doing in a place like this?

"Fine," she mumbled, "I won't help you then." With that, she turned around and took a few steps away from him. Then, she sat down with her legs crossed and started…meditating? Opening one eye, she quickly glanced at Syaoran and then closed the eye again.

"Wondering what I'm doing?" she asked, smiling, "I found this place just now…and it's awesome!" She stood up and faced Syaoran, "I thought I'd clear my mind before continuing with the day. Is that why you were here?"

"………." Syaoran pushed past the strange girl and walked out of the alley.

"Don't worry!" She yelled from behind him, "I won't tell anyone about your little secret!" After she spoke, he heard her burst out laughing. He quickly got out of that area.

---------------------------------------------------

As he made his way back to school, Syaoran glanced at his watch – he already missed half of his next class! He quickly switched from walking to running. Great, only a week into school and he was late for class. When Syaoran eventually got to school, he managed to catch the last 10 minutes of class along with a detention. Ah well, he hated English anyway…but detention…

He tried to stop thinking about it once he got to Chemistry class. Syaoran took his seat at the back left corner. As usual, he was the first one there. Everyone else seemed to have this disease which made them stay in the hallways and jabber away. Finally, when the bell rang, the classroom was full.

"Alright class," Mr. Anzai began, "We have someone new joining us today. I'd like you all to give a warm welcome to Natsumi Ijima."

"Hey kids," said Natsumi, beaming, "It's nice to be here."

Syaoran was looking down the whole time thinking about how stupid she sounded. He lifted his eyes to see the girl and then suddenly froze. She looked familiar…wasn't she…the girl from the alley?

"Natsumi," Mr. Anzai pointed to one of the front seats, "You can take a seat next to Megumi Ishida there."

"Yes sir."

"Here, take the textbook with you."

"Yes sir."

"Everyone, pass up your homework to the front."

When all the homework was collected and everyone was settled in, Mr. Anzai began, "Who would like to read the opening paragraph to the new chapter?" A couple of kids raised their hands.

"Kashima," Mr. Anzai smiled, "Why don't you do us the honor?"

Syaoran cursed in his head and opened up to the page. However, even before he could speak, somebody else cut in,

"Hey!!" Everyone stared at Natsumi as she stood up from her seat to face Syaoran, "You're the kid from before!" She shouted across the room, "You go to MY school!? That is so awesome! Don't worry, I didn't tell anyone your secret." She put on a massive grin as if it was something to be proud of. Everyone looked at Syaoran, utterly confused. Just then, another voice joined in,

"Aww…looks like Kashima's got a friend," Kashima snorted, "Did you pay her to talk to you or something? Wait, you're too poor to offer a good amount."

Syaoran ignored Kashima who was sitting in the first seat of the same row.

"Now, now," said Mr. Anzai, nervously, "Let's not get out of control."

"Are you making fun of me?" Natsumi asked, raising an eyebrow, "Or are you making fun of my buddy back there?"

"Both," replied Kashima.

"Well, you know what?" she snapped, "You better stop before I beat you and send you to the goon!"

"What?" Kashima asked, confused, "Calm down there princess; I wouldn't want to hurt you."

"Syaoran! You already have a bad record, don't make me mad!" Mr. Anzai was getting angry now, "Natsumi! This is an extremely bad first impression! May I ask you why you weren't here for homeroom or any of the classes before this?"

"Heh," Natsumi scratched her head, sitting back down, "That's because this is the first class I'm attending today. I was kinda sorta busy you see…"

And that's how Chemistry class began. As if it wasn't bad enough with Kashima, class became even more difficult because of Natsumi. Every now and then, Kashima and Natsumi would get into small stupid quarrels and disturb the class. Syaoran's bitterness increased when Mr. Anzai made Syaoran and Natsumi pair up as lab partners. Of course, Natsumi was ecstatic. After Chemistry, Syaoran seemed to calm down a little. His next class was something he always enjoyed. It was a class without stupid and noisy students. Most of all, it was a subject that Syaoran enjoyed – math.

Syaoran walked into his AP Calculus class and took his seat all the way in the front. This was the only class in which he put all his effort into. It was comfortable for him because the teacher never picked on him to talk, read, or answer questions. The class consisted of only 14 kids, so the room never got loud. The calculus teacher, Mrs. Iseki, started class by taking attendance.

"Ah," She began, "I almost forgot! We have a new student today."

For some awkward reason, a slight chill went down Syaoran's back. He slowly lifted his eyes, dreading what he would see. There she was – Natsumi Ijima, in the flesh. Great…

"Please welcome, Natsumi Ijima," Mrs. Iseki smiled, beckoning her inside.

"Oh!" Natsumi spotted Syaoran, "It's you again!" She smiled and took a seat right behind him, "I love math! Now this class will be even more fun with you around."

This girl couldn't take a hint. No matter how much Syaoran ignored her, she'd continue talking to him. Throughout class, the question kept popping into Syaoran's head, 'How could someone as dimwitted as her be in an AP class?!'

Calculus went by smoothly for the most part. Natsumi still opened her mouth now and then, but when it came to doing work she stayed quiet.

"Alright," Mrs. Iseki looked around the class one more time, "No one got the answer for number 14?"

"Hey," Natsumi whispered to Syaoran in the front, "Did you get it?"

Bending over, she saw that Syaoran had worked out the problem and gotten an answer for it – the nagging commenced.

"Come on," she urged him quietly, "Raise your hand."

"……"

"Are you afraid it'll be wrong? It doesn't hurt to try!"

"……."

"Alright, I'll raise your hand for you."

Syaoran quickly put his hands out of her reach and prevented her from pulling his arm. Eventually, Mrs. Iseki worked the problem out on the board and came up with the solution.

"He had that answer."

Everyone looked at Natsumi who was pointing to Syaoran. Yup, it happened every time Syaoran got the answer to a problem which no one else understood. However, Syaoran managed to successfully ignore her.

After a long day of school, Syaoran strode across the field, thankful to finally go home.

"KASHIMA!!"

"……"

"WAIT UP!"

"……"

He suddenly picked up the pace, determined to get away from her.

"KASHIMA UZAMAKI!"

"……"

"MR. KASHIMA UZAMAKI!"

"……"

What was wrong with her? Normally, girls wouldn't talk to Syaoran because of Kashima. If there were girls who spoke to him, they got all upset when he ignored them. They'd curse him out and leave. This girl was just….weird. Syaoran increased his speed when he heard her catching up.

"Yo! Charley Chuckles!"

Syaoran suddenly stopped walking. What the heck? He slowly turned around and almost jumped. She was standing right behind him.

"I thought you didn't hear me," she laughed, "You have detention today, don't you? I do too!!"

"……………….."

* * *

END!

Alright, Chapter 3 is finished! For those of you confused, don't worry! Sakura will be making her entrance ;)

Please leave a review…thanks!


	4. Doop Head!

The Inevitable

_By Flame Alchmst_

_**Disclaimer**__**: I do not own CCS or its characters; I'm just using them. However, some of the characters in this story have been made up by muah! Of course, the events and plot or whatever are mine too! **_

**Note: Real names will be used all the time. Switched names will be used in dialogue when others talk.**

**  
****Chapter 4: "Doop Head"**

Syaoran continued to stare at Natsumi in confusion. When he realized what he was doing, he suddenly put on a straight face. 'Ignore her, Kashima' he told himself, 'just get detention over with and return home'. He brushed passed her and made his way into the school building. Of course, that wasn't enough to get rid of her.

"Well, lookie here…" A voice called out, while Natsumi and Syaoran were entering the detention room, "If it isn't the new couple, Mr. Silent and Ms. Noisy."

"SHUT UP SYAORAN!" Natsumi shouted.

"MAKE ME SNOT FACE!"

"Snot face!? What are you, a kindergartener?! And what the heck are you doing here?!"

"I could be asking you the same thing," Kashima retorted, "Oh, wait. I already know. You two were being all lovey-dovey and forgot about class, correct?"

"SHUT UP SYAORAN!"

You can imagine how detention went by…

During lunch the next day, Syaoran decided not to go to the usual place – Natsumi would probably follow. Instead, he chose a quiet space underneath a tree behind the school.

"What's the loner doing here?"

"Does he suddenly expect us to talk to him?"

Voices rang through his head from kids walking a couple feet away.

"Hey, Kashima!"

Syaoran looked up and caught Natsumi giving deathly glares to the other students.

"Mind if I join you?" She sat down without waiting for an answer, "That's all the lunch you have?!" She looked down at the apple and water bottle. Natsumi opened her boxed lunch with a watery mouth, "Chicken, rice, potatoes and curry!!" she squealed, "Thank you mama!"

"……."

"Would you like to try some? It's really good!"

"……"

As Syaoran opened up take a bite of his apple, Natsumi stuffed a spoonful of her lunch into his mouth. Just as Syaoran was about to spit it out, the delicious flavor of her food stopped him – it was probably the best thing he'd ever tasted. After he finished chewing, he resumed with his apple.

"I told you it was good."

"……"

"My mom is the best cook in the world!"

"……"

"Hrrey," Natsumi managed to say with a full mouth, "Yrou srmell…" she swallowed, "you smell like mint."

"……"

"Mint always reminds me of the past," Natsumi smiled, "For some reason, my real parents always used to smell like mint; especially my dad. I think they ran a small tea business – the Makoto business; something like that."

"……."

"What do your parents do?"

"……"

"It's alright if you don't want to say," she waved her hand, "sometimes parents' jobs can be embarrassing," she brought her voice down to a whisper, "like…garbage man." With this, Natsumi burst out laughing.

" ……."

'What an idiot', thought Syaoran.

"So, do you have any hobbies?"

"……"

"Fine, I'll go first," she said, as if doing him a favor, "I absolutely LOVE playing video games. Especially…"

And her talking went on and on. While Natsumi spoke, her facial expressions changed depending on what she was talking about – some of the faces she made amused Syaoran, but he always forced himself to look away and went back to trying to ignore her.

The next day after school, Syaoran decided to visit his regular lunch place, the one he'd been avoiding since Natsumi arrived. When he got to the park, the sun had started to set. He took his seat under the usual tree and took in the quiet around him. A few hours ago in school, he learned of some disturbing news. Just thinking about it caused his head to throb. He forced himself to relax and closed his eyes, slowly dozing off…

_**Saigo no kisu wa Tabako no flavor ga shita Nigakute setsunai kaori**_

_**(The last kiss tasted like tobacco, a bitter and sad smell)**_

_Mitsuki slowly opened the cabinet door and shot a deathly glare to the scared little Syaoran standing in the corner. She took out a belt and slowly walked up to him, her face red in anger. Tears welled up in Syaoran's eyes as the painful punishment began._

_**Ashita no imagoro ni wa Anata wa doko ni iru n' darou Dare wo omotte 'ru n' darou**_

_**(Tomorrow, at this time where will you be? Who will you be thinking about?)**_

_Kashima stood there laughing with his sixth grade friends at Syaoran who was thrown into the mud. Kashima grabbed him by the collar and threw him again. Syaoran closed his eyes and waited for this beating to be over._

_**You are always gonna be my love Itsu ka dare ka to mata koi ni ochite mo**_

_**(You are always gonna be my love even if I fall in love with someone once again)**_

_A new student walked into class – it was a girl. She sat next to Syaoran and wouldn't stop talking. She spoke about everything… and he listened._

_**I'll remember to love, you taught me how. You are always gonna be the one**_

Syaoran slowly opened his eyes to a dark park. The moon was shining overhead – everything felt so nice. Then he realized that there was a song playing. He felt earpieces in his ears and followed the wire down to a small player – in someone's lap! He turned his head and saw a figure sitting against the tree next to him – it was Natsumi, and she was sleeping; Syaoran was confused, but calm. Natsumi's sleeping face looked so innocent. The song continued to play, and Syaoran just sat there, listening and staring. When the song ended, he saw Natsumi's eyes open slowly; he took the ear pieces out and quickly looked away.

"Ah!" She cried, excited, "You're awake! That was my FAVORITE song just now. Isn't it great!?"

"……"

"Oh, you're probably wondering what I'm doing here," she guessed, "I was taking a walk and saw you sitting here. When you started making weird faces in your sleep, I thought some music would calm you down," she beamed, "you've been listening for a while."

"……"

"Darn! I've gotta get going," she said, picking up the ear piece and player, "My mom is gonna worry. See you tomorrow!"

She stood up, waved, and walked away. Syaoran watched her disappear into the night. After a few minutes, he stood up and made his way home.

The next day in school, Natsumi was the same annoying girl. For some reason, Syaoran viewed her differently the other night. She hung around Syaoran and chattered as usual. And so, a week passed by with Natsumi clinging onto him. At times, he grew irritated and annoyed, but sometimes he didn't seem to mind; he always remained silent. However, one day things became too much.

Syaoran was walking home, deep in thought. He looked around; he was walking on a path with trees on either side. The wind was just right and the air smelled great – this had become his favorite time of day. It was the only time he could relax. Then, something unexpected happened…

"Lalalala lala lalallala"

Syaoran froze; he knew that voice.

"Lalala lal…wha? Hey…Kashima?!"

No, this wasn't happening.

"OH MY GOD! Don't tell me we take the same path home EVERYDAY! If I knew, I would've gone with you after school instead of staying after!"

"………"

"Hey! Maybe I can come to your house!"

"….."

"Or, maybe you can come to my house. What do you think?"

"….."

"We could play video games, watch TV, and do homework – wait, who wants to do homework? Anyway, we could…"

"SHUT UP!" Syaoran cut her off. Natsumi jumped and her eyes widened; she was utterly shocked. Syaoran didn't feel like himself; it felt like forever since he used such a loud voice.

"What hap-"

"Don't give me that BS!" Syaoran roared, "You know very well what 'happened'! Are you so lonely that you cling onto me like this?! Are you so pathetic that you can't make friends?! I HATE YOU! Get that into your thick skull! Your face, your voice, your talk, your stupidity – I HATE IT ALL! Get the hell away from me! You're ANNOYING! No wonder your real parents abandoned you!"

Syaoran's red face was filled with anger. He kept his icy glare on her and waited for those 'disgusting' tears. Natsumi seemed lost and sort of hurt. She looked down and muttered an 'I'm sorry' before walking away.

-----------------------------------------------------

Syaoran walked through the hallway toward his Calculus class.

"Hey Kashima!"

He spun around and searched for the person who called his name. Great; his mind was playing tricks on him again.

Natsumi had been absent for three days in a row now. Every now and then, he'd hear her annoying voice. He'd gotten used to having her around. Syaoran started thinking about Natsumi more and more. Did she drop out of school? Was the affect of what he said that strong? 'Forget about her' he told himself…but he couldn't. Everyday, Kashima would ask the teacher about the 'pipsqueak' – the teacher never had an explanation.

Syaoran was walking toward the school - it had already been five days since Natsumi's absence, and she still wasn't back. Every time he tried to forget her, she'd come popping into his head. Was it guilt? As Syaoran raised his foot to take a step, he fell forward on the grass. His face expressed pain as he attempted to stand up. He was a little taken aback; Kashima had stopped his bullying for about a week.

"Don't get up so easily," Kashima grinned, putting his foot on Syaoran's back, "Thought you wouldn't see me again?" Kashima pushed down hard and Syaoran hit the ground again. Kashima's green-haired friend was standing beside him.

"I'm gonna….AHH!" Kashima yelled.

Syaoran felt the weight disappear from his back. When he turned around to see what happened, he was surprised – it was Natsumi! She had her arm locked around Kashima's neck. Kashima immediately escaped her hold and grabbed hold of her shoulders.

"YOU!?" He asked, laughing, "What happened? Came back to save your friend?"

"Shut it!" Natsumi replied, sending a powerful punch to Kashima's stomach.

"Damn," he hissed, holding his stomach in pain.

"Syaoran!" Rei shrieked, stepping closer, "I'm gonna beat this girl…"

"No!" Kashima interrupted him, a slight blush appearing on his face, "L…ehem…leave h-her alone."

"Wait," Rei looked confused, "Why are you blushing?"

"I'M NOT BLUSHING, IDIOT! Let's go!"

With that, Kashima ran away, dragging Rei by the arm. Syaoran was now standing up and looking at Natsumi with an unreadable expression.

"I'm sorry about getting involved again," Natsumi said in a rush – she looked slightly scared. "I just…wanted to give this to you."

She quickly took out a small gift box and held it out for Syaoran, "I overheard Kashima talking about giving you an 'extra special beating' for your birthday coming up. I wasn't sure about the exact date though. Since I bought it already, I thought I'd just give it to you."

Syaoran slowly extended his hand and took the box from her, "Th…thank you," he blurted out, not thinking.

"Yeah, no problem," Natsumi replied, shocked, "I would have given it sooner, but I suddenly caught a fever," she took a step back, "Sorry for speaking with you today. I don't want to be a burden to anyone. Well then, goodbye Kashima."

Natsumi turned around and quickly walked into school. Syaoran just stood there, speechless. What was going on with him?

During Chemistry class, Natsumi didn't say a word to him. The teacher's voice and the students' whisperings were all a blur. Syaoran kept thinking the same thing, 'I've never received a gift before'. It was still in his bag, unopened. His eyes unconsciously fell on Natsumi now and then – she seemed lifeless. When it was time for AP Calculus, Natsumi didn't come. Mrs. Iseki explained to the class that Natsumi switched into Honors Calculus. Syaoran didn't know what to think.

After school, Syaoran was standing in front of his locker, putting some textbooks in. He was upset at himself for being this way. What was wrong with him?! His concentration wasn't on schoolwork at all. He turned away from his locker and saw Natsumi walking by – she didn't even look up at him. Syaoran's grip on his bag tightened and he slammed his locker shut. He walked behind Natsumi, following her out of the building.

"WAIT!" Syaoran shouted, standing a few feet behind Natsumi – she didn't turn around. Syaoran began to run and grabbed hold of her arm.

"Natsumi!" he shouted, turning her around to face him. She looked at him, startled.

"Yes…?"

"I'm sorry." Syaoran said firmly, lowering his head, "I was too harsh before. I was angry because of something I heard in school. Someone moved here…and…"

"It's alright," Natsumi replied, "I'm sorry too. I was being a pain. Don't worry, I won't bother you any…"

"NO!" Syaoran shouted, causing Natsumi to jump, "I want you to bother me! No…what I mean to say is…I…that…you…we…"

"He, she, it, they," Natsumi said, using her fingers to count them, "There, I've said them all for you now," her face clearly showed her eagerness for him to continue.

Syaoran raised his eyebrow, "_What I mean to say is_ I don't mind you bothering me."

"Huh?"

"I…I seem to have grown used to your presence. I…don't mind being…_friends_ with you." Wow, Syaoran really felt stupid now.

"So…I can talk to you again? And hang around you again? And tell other people that we're friends? And…"

"Yes!" a slight color of red appeared on Syaoran's cheeks, "its fine."

"But, I thought you hated me."

"I don't."

"But you said…"

"I lied."

"Oh."

"……."

"Let's go home then!" Natsumi exclaimed, jumping up and down. Syaoran just nodded and followed her.

Syaoran was engulfed in his thoughts during the walk home; Natsumi was just singing songs and skipping around. He was still extremely embarrassed and confused from the events before. What was it that separated Natsumi from everyone else? Was it her optimistic and carefree personality? Was it her stupidity? Was it because, even though Syaoran ignored her, she continued to think they were friends? Was it her ignorance?

"Hey, Kashima!"

Syaoran turned his head to look at her. This time, it wasn't his imagination – she was really there. He grinned slightly at the thought.

"Do you know who that guy is with the red hair?" she asked, scratching her head, "the one who hangs around Syaoran sometimes? Is he your friend?"

Syaoran was flabbergasted. Wow, this girl was stupid. Did she not see how everyone treated him and spoke about him?

"No."

"Oh," she sighed, "Doesn't he remind you of one of those cool looking guys from animes?!"

"……"

Her eyes suddenly became starry, "Well, I think he looks EXACTLY like this one guy from a show I've seen," in an instant, her eyes were filled with fire, "I just don't understand why he hangs around that _doop head_ Syaoran!"

"Doop?"

"Yes," she said, putting her hands on her hips, "SYAORAN IS A DOOP HEAD!"

'What the heck?' Syaoran thought, 'Doop head?' Whatever. This talk about Kashima and his friends was getting on his nerves.

"…stop…"

"Wha…?"

"Don't talk about Syaoran."

"…sorry…"

"…ehem…Calculus…"

"Eh?"

"……"

"Oh! You're asking why I dropped out of AP?" Natsumi guessed, "Well, the workload is WAY too much. I thought I'd take it easy with math. I already do so much in my other classes; it was getting…how do you say it? 'Hectic'."

"Mhm." 'Hectic?' Syaoran thought, 'She doesn't do majority of the work from her other classes anyway.'

"Oh! I have a question for you now!" She pointed a finger at him, "How did you know my real parents abandoned me?"

"Ah…" Syaoran's eyes looked rapidly about; he felt slightly uncomfortable, "You mentioned your parents before, and you referred to them as 'real'. Mr. and Mrs….Makoto."

"OH! I remember now!" She began rubbing her chin, "I wonder what I was talking about."

"……" Syaoran was about to say something about mint, but then decided not to.

"Well, I turn right here Kashima!" Natsumi said, pointing to the fork in the road, "See ya tomorrow!"

"……"

-----------------------------------------------------

"Let's fight!"

It was another day of school, and Natsumi stood in the hallway, staring at Kashima who had just pulled her out of the classroom after their continuous bickering.

"Fight?!" Natsumi shrieked, joy flooding her face, "I'll fight you anytime and anywhere Syaoran Li!"

"NATSUMI! SYAORAN!" Mr. Anzai roared from the classroom, "Get back in here NOW!"

"Come," Kashima whispered, catching Natsumi's hand in his grip. Without warning, he pulled her out of the hallway, away from the classroom.

"Wait!" Natsumi screamed, "Where are we going?!" Kashima laughed in response. Soon, they were in the back field of the school.

"Are…are we gonna fight now?" Natsumi asked in excitement.

"Yes," Kashima smiled, "We are." This girl was getting on his damn nerves since the day she came – he really wanted to teach her a lesson.

"Well then, watch out!" Natsumi grabbed Kashima's shoulders and threw him to the ground. She secured herself on top of him and held his arms down.

"Hey!" she yelled, irritated, "You're not even trying to resist."

Kashima's eyes were widened in shock. He quickly got hold of himself, "You really want to fight me?"

"Duh."

"You're going to get hurt."

"I should be the one saying that!"

"Fine," he sighed, moving his hands as much as he could. When he got hold of her thighs, his whole body suddenly froze.

"What are you doing!?" Natsumi shrieked, trying to loosen his grip, "PERVERT!"

"I'm not-" Kashima was silenced with a blow to his face. He could feel a little blood trickle down from the side of his mouth, "that hurt bitch."

"You know, you shouldn't use foul language like tha-

"Shut up!" Kashima grabbed her and forced her to the ground so that he was on top of her now. By sequence of actions, their faces became very close to each other.

"……"

"……"

"Aren't you going to hit me or something?"

"Shut up bi-"

"Don't curse!"

"……"

"Hey!" Natsumi cried, "Why is your face getting red?"

"It is not!"

She struggled a little before finally giving up, "…hit me already! Hurry up and fight! This is getting annoying!""

Kashima suddenly sat up and got off her, "I'm sorry," he muttered, helping her up. "Are you alright?"

"You're the one who wanted to fight me!" Her eyebrows were scrunched up in confusion, "One of us is supposed to be hurt! Why are you apologizing? Why didn't you hit me!?"

"Erm…" At that moment, Kashima only had one thing on his mind: 'She looks so cute with that face.'

"Are you even listening to me?"

"Yeah, sorry."

"STOP APOLOGIZING!"

"Right, sor…hey wait!" Kashima shook his head frantically to snap himself out of this weird trance, "Don't tell me what to do…BITCH!"

"ARGH! I'm going back to class," Natsumi turned around and started walking toward the school door, "Call me to fight once you get your head fixed…AND DON'T CALL ME A YOU-KNOW-WHAT!"

"H-hey! People don't walk away from me! I WALK AWAY FROM THEM!" Kashima ran after her, desperately trying to straighten things out in his head.

-----------------------------------------------------

When Natsumi and Kashima ran back to class, they made it just in time for the lab. Of course, they both received detention.

"I'm dead serious, my blood was boiling!"

Syaoran had just heard the whole 'fight' story from Natsumi. Yup – every last detail.

"He makes me so mad! Isn't he annoying?" Natsumi rolled her eyes.

"Mhm." Syaoran agreed, not knowing what the heck to say, "Mix the Hydrochloric acid with the Ammonium solution," he commanded Natsumi.

"He's such a doop head!" Natsumi said through gritted teeth, pouring the substances into the dish on the lab table.

"I'm a what?!" Kashima demanded, standing up from his lab table on the other side of the room.

"A DOOP HEAD!" Natsumi spat.

"What the hell is that?! And you call ME a kindergartener?"

"NATSUMI! SYAORAN! NOT NOW!" Mr. Anzai hit his desk hard with the ruler, "You two are already in deep trouble!"

"Yes, sir," they replied together, "STOP IMMITATING ME…HEY!" Frustrated, they both turned away and went back to their lab.

-----------------------------------------------------

It was the next day of school, and Kashima still couldn't get Natsumi's 'frustrated' face out of his mind. Just thinking about it brought a goofy smile to his face. He sat outside of school under a tree, waiting for the bell to ring. In his mind, he played the whole 'fight' scene in his head over and over.

"She smelled like…like watermelon flavored bubblegum," he thought out loud.

"Excuse me."

"Eh?" Kashima looked up, "Yeah?"

"I'm new to this school, and I was wondering if you could help me out a bit."

Kashima immediately stood up and looked down at the beauty before him. She was an average height girl with a very nice body. Her auburn hair fell down to her ears and her emerald green eyes seemed to shimmer. She wore a very revealing outfit – a short white skirt and a tight pink tube top with her bellybutton showing.

"S…sure," Kashima managed to say, "I'd love to help you out. My name is Syaoran Li. And you are?"

"Sakura," the girl said, taking a step forward, "Sakura Kinomoto. I-ah" She fell forward, falling into Kashima's arms.

When she fell forward, her tube top went down a little, revealing some massive cleavage. "I'm sorry about that," she giggled, "These heels can be annoying sometimes."

"N…no problem," Kashima's face was red as he helped Sakura find her balance again.

"Shall we go?" Sakura asked, holding her hand out for him.

"Of course," Kashima replied, turning into the 'prince' he was in front of all girls, "Let's go."

* * *

**END!**

I'm so glad I was able to continue. Sorry about the late update! I have a month off from college, so I'm hoping to get a lot done. It's tough to write with studies going on -- Well, Sakura has made her entrance! Hehehehehe….

Please leave a review!!


	5. Attraction

The Inevitable

_By Flame Alchmst_

_**Disclaimer**__**: I do not own CCS or its characters; I'm just using them. However, some of the characters in this story have been made up by muah! Of course, the events and plot or whatever are mine too! **_

**Note: Real names will be used all the time. Switched names will be used in dialogue when others talk.**

**  
****Chapter 5: "Attraction"**

The whole classroom was dead silent as Sakura Kinomoto made her entrance. All eyes fell upon the young woman – the guys' eyes were wide with amazement, and the girls' eyes were narrow with envy. Her long legs strode to the center of the classroom and she smiled brightly at all the students. Kashima walked in behind her, and the boys immediately grew disappointed. He winked at them before taking his seat at the back.

The teacher smiled to look at Sakura, "You're the transfer?"

"Yes."

"Your first class is Art Fundamentals?"

"Correct."

"Well then, welcome" the teacher smiled, "You must be Sakura Kinomoto. My name is Mrs. Nomiya."

"Pleasure to meet you," Sakura replied, bowing slightly.

Mrs. Nomiya was a tall, overweight, woman with shoulder-length black hair tied up in a half-pony. Her face was joyous and she seemed like an extremely friendly person.

"You may take a seat next to…"

"ME!!" Natsumi cut Mrs. Nomiya off, "No one sits here."

Everyone jerked their heads toward her – she broke the silence of the students. Natsumi sat in the third row of the classroom, pointing to an empty chair beside her. One boy with short, sandy brown hair sitting behind Natsumi patted her shoulder in approval. He was beaming. All the other boys had sour looks on their faces.

"Alright then," Mrs. Nomiya trilled, "Thank you Natsumi."

"No prob, Mrs. Nomiya," Natsumi winked, "I'm new here myself, so we can fight this school together!!" Natsumi threw her fist in the air and smiled widely at Sakura. Sakura's smile grew tense as she made her way next to Natsumi. The moment she sat down, all the boys whistled.

"Oh, please," Sakura pretended to be flattered, looking down in embarrassment.

"Love the outfit, darling!" a scrawny boy in the back whistled. All the boys chimed in after him.

"I don't know how you can survive in that outfit," Natsumi said with admiration in her eyes, "I'm wearing a sweatshirt, and I'm still FREEZING." She pointed to her black hoodie.

Sakura opened her mouth, and then closed it again – she was tongue-tied. Kashima chuckled quietly in the back.

"I'll warm you up sweetheart."

"You can borrow my jacket."

"Come sit next to me for all the _heat_."

"Alright class," Mrs. Nomiya clapped her hands to stop the boys' comments, "let us continue with where we left off. Art…art is life...art is a _way_ of life…art is…" The class groaned and listened to Mrs. Nomiya's non-stop talking.

* * *

"YO KASHIMA!" Natsumi ran up to Syaoran who was at the back of the classroom, slamming her hand on his desk, "How was English?"

Syaoran shrugged in response.

"Well, guess what?!"

"…"

"We have a new transfer student in my first period class!"

Syaoran raised an eyebrow.

"Her name is…Sa…Sa…Sakura Ki…Kinomo?" Natsumi furrowed her brows, thinking hard, "Ughh…I think I got her last name wrong – I forgot."

Syaoran nodded, taking his books out to get ready for Chemistry. The kids around the two didn't pay much attention to them anymore. In the beginning, Syaoran was all anyone could talk about – he was actually socializing. Now, however, it was old news. Especially since they realized he only opened up to Natsumi.

"The teacher is here," Syaoran warned her, looking straight ahead.

"Oh!" Natsumi jumped, dashing to the front of the classroom and taking her seat. Just then, Kashima walked in and glanced at her, only to receive a glare in response.

"Syaoran, you're about 10 seconds late," Mr. Anzai flicked his pencil back and forth in a disapproving manner.

"Nice observation," Kashima muttered under his breath, rolling his eyes.

"Alright then," Mr. Anzai began, "today, we'll just finish with the lab that we started yesterday. So everyone get to work."

All the kids stood up and scurried around, gathering things and taking their positions at the tables. Natsumi plopped down next to Syaoran, eager to tell him more about the transfer student.

"She was dressed for the summer!" Natsumi stated, her eyes were wide with disbelief, "I felt so bad."

Syaoran smiled.

"You're smiling?" She raised an eyebrow, "Yeah, maybe it is funny. My mother and father would KILL me if I walked out of the house showing that much skin." She made a face, "I would feel naked, anyway," the thought made her shudder.

Natsumi went on chatting, pausing every now and then to listen to Syaoran's instructions.

"How much do we have to heat this water for?" Natsumi asked, slightly scared, "It's already boiling…"

"Just a…" Syaoran began when he was cut off by a beaker of boiling water falling on his hand. He grabbed his hand tightly and his face grew red as the seething pain increased. He looked up to see Kashima standing just inches from him.

"Oh my," Kashima put on a surprised look, "It fell from my hand."

"You…little…" Natsumi uttered through gritted teeth, pushing herself up, "You did that on purpose!"

"You can't prove that," Kashima snickered, picking up the beaker quickly and walking away.

"Hold on Kashima, I'll call the teacher and get that little idiot for…" Syaoran let go of his burning hand to grab hold of Natsumi.

"Don't. I'm fine."

"But…"

"I'll be right back."

With that, Syaoran stood up and walked out of the classroom. Natsumi flinched thinking about how hot the water must have been. 'That jerk' she thought, 'he'll definitely pay for this.'

* * *

Syaoran walked into his History class exactly on time and took his seat; Natsumi had kept him for a while with her stories. He looked up as the teacher began to speak.

"Alright class," Mr. Uchida spoke, "We have a new student in our History class, Ms. Sakura Kinomoto."

Syaoran's head jerked to the direction the teacher was pointing to. A girl, matching Natsumi's descriptions exactly, sat a seat over from him. He was taken aback to find that the girl had already been staring at him. His head immediately looked back down.

Throughout class, Syaoran couldn't stop thinking of the name. 'Kinomoto…Kinomoto…' it played over and over again in his head. Every now and then, Syaoran would look up with a glare on his face. His eyes would meet hers and she would immediately look away. This didn't go unnoticed by the other boys in class, the ones who absolutely could not keep their eyes of Sakura.

After class, Syaoran was surprised to see a flock of girls surround Sakura. She was chatting away with them freely – she'd already become so popular with the girls and guys. He heard her talking about some 'weird and annoying girl' in Art class. 'It must be Natsumi,' Syaoran thought. While Sakura was talking, she constantly glanced in Syaoran's direction. Eventually, Syaoran packed his things and walked out.

"Who was that guy just now?" Sakura asked, gesturing toward the seat over from hers.

"That's Kashima Uzamaki," a tall blond-head replied, rolling her eyes, "He's a loner – it's best to stay away."

"Yeah," a red-head agreed, "Except recently, he's started talking to some annoying girl named Natsumi."

"That's her!" Sakura shrieked, "The one in my class!"

"Stay away from her too – they're both weirdoes."

"Oh…"

After school, Sakura said her goodbyes to a large group of students that followed her out. As she strolled across the yard, her mind kept going back to Syaoran – she'd never felt this way before. Something about him was so…mysterious. And…he was so…_hot._ Just thinking about him sent a chill down her back. But, his glares – what did they mean? What did Sakura do to make him so mad at her? They didn't even know each other! Just then, the sight of Syaoran caught her eye…and he was with _her._ Sakura watched wistfully, as she turned to go her way.

"Kashima," Natsumi said, turning to look at Syaoran, "I have something to do, so I'll see you tomorrow, k?"

Syaoran nodded. This was good; he needed time alone to think about what had just happened in school today. He knew this was going to happen – the transfer student. Now, he had to concentrate on putting the anger aside and planning. Natsumi waved to Syaoran and ran toward the school – she had only one person in mind right now. Her eyes scanned the entire field, and fell upon a boy with dark green hair. She raced towards him.

"HEY YOU!!" Natsumi screamed, getting his attention before stopping abruptly in front of him, "Where's the head monkey?!"

"…the what?" Rei asked, raising his eyebrow.

"Where's the leader of your little, monkey gang!?" Natsumi spat.

"You better take your words back missy…before you regret…"

"Wow," Natsumi cut Rei off, "You're really short. I didn't realize that before."

Rei's mouth dropped in horror. Just then, someone else spoke up.

"Are you looking for Syaoran?"

Natsumi looked up to find the person who spoke, and she froze. It was…_him._

"Hi," Natsumi said, holding out her hand, "I…I'm Natsumi."

The red-head chuckled, "Sano. Pleased to make your acquaintance."

Natsumi's eyes became starry as she held Sano's hand, not letting go.

"SANO!" Rei roared, glaring at the shaking hands, "She's…she's…an ENEMY!"

"Wow…you even talk pretty," Natsumi spoke in awe, ignoring Rei completely.

"Hello, little bird," spoke the long-orange-haired boy, "I am Kaoru," he stuck his hand out as well.

"Yeah, yeah…" Natsumi replied, never letting go of Sano's hand, "So, Sano…what's up?"

Kaoru frowned, turning away.

"Er…" Sano looked down at their hands, amused, "Weren't you looking for Syaoran?"

"Huh?" Natsumi suddenly snapped awake, "Oh…right."

"Well, he's not here," answered Sano, "He…"

"DON'T TELL HER!" Rei complained, his eyes throwing daggers at Natsumi.

"I thought I told you to scram, midget," Natsumi muttered. Then, her voice suddenly became much softer, "Where is he?" she asked Sano.

Sano's smile grew wider, "He left early, before school even ended," he explained, "Said he needed to clear his mind or something."

"Oh," Natsumi said, nodding, still slightly dazed, "Do...do you mind telling him something for me?"

"Anything," Sano whispered, coming closer.

Natsumi's face immediately flushed, "umm…umm…tell him that…I'm…I'm going to kill him in school tomorrow."

"Do not fret," Sano assured her, "Your message will most definitely be delivered."

"Thanks!" Natsumi exclaimed, finally letting his hand go. She beamed up at Sano and then glowered at Rei before taking her leave.

* * *

During the next day of school, Sakura didn't sit next to Natsumi in Art class. Instead, she sat in the middle of a large group of girls and threw disgusted looks at Natsumi every now and then – Natsumi paid no attention to her though; she had her eyes fixed on Kashima. At the end of class, Mrs. Nomiya announced a field trip to the Art museum, coming up a week later, before dismissing her students. Natsumi walked straight towards Kashima, but missed him when he went into the boys' bathroom. She curled her hands into fists in frustration and waited impatiently in front. Finally, he came out.

"Took you long enough!" Natsumi yelled in his face, "Listen, I…"

"Leave me alone," Kashima grumbled, pushing past her.

"WHAT?!" Natsumi shouted, grabbing his arm, "What the heck is wrong with you!? Why are you always…"

"SHUT UP!" Kashima roared, taking her wrist in a deathly grip, "Don't get on my nerves today," he said through gritted teeth.

Natsumi's eyes were wide with shock; something was _definitely_ wrong today. She quickly recovered and glared back at him, fuming. Kashima shoved her back and walked away.

During Chemistry class, Kashima didn't look towards Syaoran or Natsumi once. Natsumi grew confused and angry, but she decided not to push it today. When Natsumi tried to talk with Syaoran, he seemed preoccupied with other thoughts. Great, now she was bored. However, her spirits rose when Megumi Ishida started small talk with her. She sat on the lab table right next to Natsumi, so they could carry out their conversation while working on their labs. When the class was assigned to complete a handout, Megumi and Natsumi worked together while Kashima and Syaoran worked alone – the two boys clearly did not want to be disturbed.

--

The halls were empty as Syaoran walked towards his locker. Everyone was in class now, and he needed to get his textbook before returning. All of a sudden, someone bumped into him. He was about to ignore it and walk away, before he looked up – it was Sakura.

"S…sorry," Sakura stammered, looking into Syaoran's eyes, absolutely mesmerized.

At first, Syaoran glared at her and Sakura flinched. However, his expression suddenly became softer…and he smiled. Sakura stared at him in awe. She felt as if her body couldn't take it - his smile made her heart race. When he reached out to move a stray hair from her face, his scent could have made her faint.

"Are you alright?" Syaoran asked in a mischievous tone.

"Y…yes," Sakura replied, amazed at how beautiful someone's voice could sound.

Syaoran leaned in ever so closely and his lips almost touched Sakura's ear.

"Good," he whispered, making her shiver. Then, he walked away, leaving Sakura hypnotized in the middle of the hallway.

* * *

END!

Yes – another chapter! Again, sorry for the late update. I honestly didn't think I'd continue, but I'm glad I decided to stick with it. Please let me know what you think – it'll make me what to update quicker ;)

Leave a review!!


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